Han Ji

Chapter 129 Yangping Transfer Order

Xun Cai leaned on his shoulder: "Then, my husband... are you confident?"

Liu Bei remained silent for a long time.

"On the battlefield, no one is absolutely certain," he said softly, "but if you don't try to stop it, if you don't try to soothe it, you'll never be certain."

A night breeze rose, causing the camp flags to flutter in the wind.

The five characters "Liu, Commandant of Hanzhong" on the flag were blurred in the moonlight.

In the distance, towards the Qiang region, the mountain shadows resembled the spines of beasts, lurking in the darkness.

The one-eyed wolf's harsh words still linger in the wind.

Liu Bei got up, put his arm around Xun Cai, and returned to the tent.

Before the curtain fell, he took one last look at the west.

His eyes were as still as a deep pool.

On the third day of the third month of the third year of Zhongping, an official document from the prefectural government was sent to the commandant's office.

Jian Yong removed the mud seal, glanced at it, and paused. He didn't speak, but spread the document on Liu's filing table.

The paper was thick hemp paper used exclusively by the prefectural government, and the seal was bright red. The content consisted of two lines:

"First, transfer 500 men under Guan Yu to Yangping Pass for garrison duty. They shall depart immediately and be placed under the command of the Commander-in-Chief of the County Army."

"Second, Zhang Fei's troops and the Third Battalion of the County Army were combined and stationed at Micang Road for joint defense."

After reading it, Liu Bei tapped his finger on the "Commander-in-Chief of Guijun" (a military document).

The commander of the county troops is surnamed Chen, a cousin of Chen Lun, and he just took office last month.

"There's no countersignature on my behalf," he said.

"It was intentional." Jian Yong pointed to the end of the document, "It only has the seal of the prefect, not the seal of the captain. According to the 'Order for the Transfer of Military Officers,' this order is invalid."

Liu Bei rolled up the official document: "Prepare the horses."

In the back garden of the prefect's mansion, Su Gu was playing chess with Chen Lun.

The chessboard was made of rosewood, and the chess pieces were made of jade; the white pieces were smooth and warm, while the black pieces were solid and weighty. Su stubbornly played black, and with just one move, he intercepted a large white group.

"Chen Lun," he said with a smile, picking up a black piece, "your game is too weak. You hesitated when you should have cut, and that only led to more trouble."

Chen Lun wiped his sweat: "Prefect's chess skills are profound; I am no match for them."

Footsteps came from outside the corridor.

Without waiting for an announcement, Liu Bei went straight into the pavilion. He was dressed in coarse clothes and cloth shoes, with a sword at his waist and a scroll of official documents in his hand.

Su Gu raised his eyes, his smile unchanged: "Xuande has arrived? Sit down and watch a game."

"I have official duties to attend to and dare not sit idly." Liu Bei spread the official document on the chessboard, pressing it down on the group of white pieces that were surrounded.

The jade chess pieces tumbled and rolled away with a clatter.

Su Gu's smile faded.

"Prefect," Liu Bei pointed to the two lines of text, "this order has no countersignature from me."

"Oh?" Su Gu leaned back. "It was an oversight. Chen Lun, go find Commandant Liu to fix it later."

Chen Lun was about to make a move.

"No, we won't make up for it," Liu Bei interrupted.

The pavilion fell silent. The wind rustled through the bamboo grove.

Su Gu slowly sat up straight: "Xuande, what does this mean?"

"Yangping Pass is of utmost importance, and only Guan Yu could guard it—I agree with that." Liu Bei looked directly at him. "The mixed-arms formation is for the purpose of honing skills and letting the county soldiers learn the demeanor of battle-hardened troops—I also agree with that."

He paused, then said, "But transferring my troops to the command of the prefectural military commander is against the rules. According to the law, the Commandant's Office and the prefectural military are not subordinate to each other."

Su Gu laughed: "Xuande, you are young and do not understand local affairs. It was fine for each side to manage their own affairs when suppressing bandits. Now that the banditry has been quelled, border defense is the most important thing. Yangping Pass is the throat of Hanzhong. How can we let the two armies guard their own posts? It is the right thing to combine them into a single force for joint defense and issue orders from the same source."

"Then let's conduct joint patrols." Liu Bei took out another scroll of silk from his robes, unfolded it, and it was a copy of the "Order for the Transfer of Military Officers." It read, "Yun Chang's troops and the county soldiers will jointly patrol Yangping Pass, and Yi De's troops and the county soldiers will jointly patrol the Micang Road—each will still command their own troops, and they will consult with each other in case of any incidents. What does the Prefect think?"

Su Gu stared at the scroll.

The silk was old silk, the characters were in clerical script, and the articles were clearly listed. A small note on the last line reads: "When the prefectural government transfers officers from the commandant's office, the commandant's countersignature is required. Without countersignature, the order is invalid."

He already knew this, but he didn't expect Liu Bei to actually dare to reveal it.

"Xuande," his voice deepened, "you...don't you believe me?"

"I dare not," Liu Bei said, lowering his eyes. "I am merely acting in accordance with the law. If the governor wishes to mobilize troops, he must obtain my countersignature. Otherwise, this order... is nothing but a piece of waste paper."

Chen Lun smoothed things over, saying, "Commander, this was a clerical oversight; I'll have you fix it another day..."

"No, I won't make up for it," Liu Bei repeated.

Su Gu remained silent. He picked up a white chess piece that had rolled to the edge of the board, stroked it for a long time, and then smiled.

"Alright, alright." He nodded. "Then let's proceed as the Commandant has suggested—joint patrols. Yun Chang's troops will patrol Yangping Pass together with the county soldiers, and Yi De's troops will patrol Micang Road together with the county soldiers."

"Thank you for your understanding, Prefect." Liu Bei bowed, put away the official documents, and said, "If there is nothing else, I will take my leave."

He turned and left the pavilion. His footsteps faded into the distance.

Su Gu stared at the chessboard, then suddenly waved his hand, sweeping all the chess pieces onto the ground.

With a crackling sound, several pieces of jade shattered.

Chen Lun was so frightened that he knelt down.

"Joint patrols..." Su Gu murmured, his eyes fixed on the direction Liu Bei had disappeared into outside the pavilion. "Liu Bei, are you truly ignorant, or are you pretending?"

Chen Lun dared not answer.

"He understands," Su Gu answered himself. "He understands too well. Joint patrols? Hmph, if they patrol for a month, will the county soldiers listen to Commander Chen, or to Guan Yu and Zhang Fei?"

He got up, walked to the pavilion, and looked towards the military camp to the west.

"Chen Lun".

"Your humble servant is here."

"Tell Chen Lu," Su Gu lowered his voice, "during patrols... observe and listen carefully. Remember exactly how Guan Yu and Zhang Fei trained their troops and led their teams."

"Yes."

"And another thing," Su Gu turned around, his eyes cold, "find an opportunity... to test their mettle."

March 5th, Yangping Pass.

The fortress was situated at the mouth of the gorge, with stone walls five zhang high and imposing arrow towers. When Guan Yu arrived with five hundred men, Chen Lü, the commander of the county troops, was already waiting at the fortress.

Chen Lu was about fifty years old, with a square face and short beard. He wore armor and carried a sword, followed by five military officers from the third battalion of the county army.

"Commander Guan," Chen Lu said with a polite smile, clasping his hands in greeting. "I have long admired your name. From today onwards, our two departments will patrol this pass together. I hope you will offer me your guidance."

Guan Yu returned the greeting: "Commander Zhao, you are too kind. I have come under orders and will certainly assist you."

"Then... a patrol of the pass?"

"please."

The two rode side by side up the pass. Guan Yu's five hundred men followed behind, with five hundred county soldiers on either side. The horses trod on the stone road, their hooves making a dull thud.

Upon reaching the open space in front of the gate tower, Chen Lü reined in his horse and pointed outside the gate: "This pass is so formidable that it can be held by a single man. However, it has fallen into disrepair in recent years; many of the parapets have collapsed, and the watchtowers leak. The prefectural government has limited funds and has been unable to carry out major repairs."

Guan Yu glanced at the fortified wall. Grass grew in the cracks of the stones, and several sections of the battlements were half-collapsed.

"It definitely needs to be fixed," he said.

"Commander Guan's troops are seasoned veterans," Chen Lu smiled, "but are they capable of defending the city?"

Guan Yu didn't answer, but turned to Zhang Wu behind him and said, "Zhang Wu."

"exist!"

"Demonstrating the powerful crossbow."

"Yes, sir!"

Zhang Wu led fifty crossbowmen to dismount and set up targets in an open field. The targets were straw figures dressed in leather armor, standing a hundred paces away.

Three rows of crossbowmen lined up, nocked their arrows, and prepared to shoot.

"put!"

Buzz—The first volley of arrows was fired, fifty in total, all hitting the target, half of them piercing the armor.

"Upwards!"

The crossbowmen moved in perfect unison, nocking the bowstring and drawing the arrow in no more than three breaths.

"put!"

The second wave hit again.

"put!"

In the third wave, the scarecrow had turned into a hedgehog.

The scene fell silent. The county soldiers stared wide-eyed, some swallowing hard.

Chen Lu's smile froze on his face.